Inside the lives of Michael Jackson's children Prince, Paris and Bigi, 17 years after their father's death

When Michael Jackson died in 2009 he left behind three children.

Now, 17 years later the three of them are still sometimes in the public eye, being described in 2007 prior to his death as 'well-mannered, well-behaved kids'.

The first of Jackson's children was Prince, who he had with his wife at the time Debbie Row in 1997, before the couple welcomed their daughter Paris in 1998.

They would go on to separate in 1999, with Jackson gaining custody and the children growing up at the Neverland Ranch, before going to live with their grandmother after their father died.

In 2002, three years after the separation, Jackson had his third child, Prince Michael Jackson II, who was born by surrogate.

In 2015, Jackson's third child would go on to legally change his name to Bigi.

Following his death the children came more into the public eye, and now 17 years on they are each pursuing their own projects, but reportedly remain close.

Here's what you need to know about each of them.

Michael Joseph Jackson Jr.

Michael is the eldest of the Jackson siblings (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Often known as Prince Michael Jackson, the eldest of Jackson's three children, he was born in Los Angeles on February 13 1997.

In a statement shared when his son was born, Jackson said: "Words can't describe how I feel ... I have been blessed beyond comprehension and I will work tirelessly at being the best father that I can possibly be."

He added: "I grew up in a fish bowl and will not allow the same to happen to my child. Please respect our wishes and give my son his privacy."

Prince's godparents are Elizabeth Taylor, who died in 2011, and Macauley Culkin, and he graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2019 with a degree in business administration, and is an avid motorcycle fan.

In August 2025 Prince took his Instragram page to announce he and his girlfriend Molly had gotten engaged.

"8 years down [infinity] to go," he wrote, using the infinity emoji. "Molly and I have spent a lot of time together and made incredible memories.

"We've traveled the world, graduated and grown so much together. I'm excited for this next chapter in our lives as we continue to grow and make great memories. I love you babs."

Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson

Paris also became a musician (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

Jackson's second child and only daughter was born on April 3 1998 in Los Angeles, and was his last child with his Rowe.

Paris is reportedly named after the city where she was conceived, and also has godparents in Taylor and Culkin.

Paris has spoken publicly about the difficulties she faced after her father died in 2009, including revealing to Rolling Stone that she had tried 'multiple times' to end her life before she turned 15.

Speaking about the struggle, she said: "It was just self-hatred. Low self-esteem, thinking that I couldn't do anything right, not thinking I was worthy of living anymore."

Paris has come out LGBTQ+, though she does not put a label on her sexuality, saying that 'I wouldn't consider myself bisexual because I've dated more than just men and women'.

She has also become a musician, releasing EPs and a solo album in 2020.

Paris has also recently been embroiled in legal wrangling with the executors of her father's estate.

Bigi Jackson

Bigi is the youngest and most private of the siblings (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)

Jackson's youngest and most private child was born by a surrogate in 2002.

Initially named Prince Michael Jackson II, he changed his name to Bigi in 2015.

Bigi is generally more private, but did give an interview in November 2021 when he spoke about making an impact, saying: "That's what each of us [siblings] want to do — make things that people enjoy but also benefit their lives."

This includes fighting climate change, with Bigi saying: "I do think it's important we all know about it. We have some work to do, but our generation knows how important it is."